Il divo (2008)

Calificación de los usuarios:

7.5/10   

Director:

Paolo Sorrentino

Guionista:

Paolo Sorrentino (writer)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

28 mayo 2008 (Italy)

Género:

Biografía | Drama | Historia

Plot:

The story of Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, who has been elected to Parliament seven times since is was established in 1946. |

Plot Keywords:

Parliament | Italy | French Accent | Nonlinear Timeline | 1990s

Premios:

9 wins & 14 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

An extraordinary account of an extraordinary life

US Showtimes:

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Reparto

Toni Servillo	...	Giulio Andreotti
Anna Bonaiuto	...	Livia Danese
Piera Degli Esposti	...	Signora Enea
Paolo Graziosi	...	Aldo Moro
Giulio Bosetti	...	Eugenio Scalfari
Flavio Bucci	...	Franco Evangelisti
Carlo Buccirosso	...	Paolo Cirino Pomicino
Giorgio Colangeli	...	Salvo Lima
Alberto Cracco	...	Don Mario
Lorenzo Gioielli	...	Mino Pecorelli
Gianfelice Imparato	...	Vincenzo Scotti
Massimo Popolizio	...	Vittorio Sbardella
Aldo Ralli	...	Giuseppe Ciarrapico
Giovanni Vettorazzo	...	Magistrato Scarpinato
Cristina Serafini	...	Caterina Stagno

También conocida como:

Il divo (France)
Il divo: La straordinaria vita di Giulio Andreotti (Italy) (long title)
Untitled Giulio Andreotti Biopic (Italy) (working title)
Il divo (Argentina) (festival title) [es]

Duración:

110 min

País:

Italy | France

Idioma:

Italiano | Inglés

Color:

Negro y Blanco (inserts only) | Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Clasificación:

Italy:T | Canada:14A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16

Locaciones de Filmación:

Montecitorio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Compañía:

Indigo Film

Citas:

Giulio Andreotti: We learn from the Gospel that when they asked Jesus what truth was, he did not reply.

Banda de Sonido:

Violin Concerto in D minor op. 40

An extraordinary account of an extraordinary life

What does the title Il Divo mean? Well, it comes from "Divo Giulio", the Italian translation of "Divus Iulius", a Latin expression used to describe Julius Caesar. "Divo" translates as "divine", and the term was employed in regards to Caesar's outstanding power as well as his alleged otherworldly ancestry (the founder of his family, the Gens Iulia, was Aeneas, son of Venus). But of course, that has nothing to do with Paolo Sorrentino's masterpiece: the title refers to another Giulio, who has also been called "Divo" because of his considerable influence and longevity (he was 89 when the film was released). That man is Giulio Andreotti, largely considered the most important political figure in 20th century Italy.

Although the unabridged subtitle of the Italian version reads "The extraordinary life of Giulio Andreotti", it doesn't chronicle all of the famed politician's life. Instead, it focuses on the most important period concerning his career: from 1978 to the early '90s. 1978 is, of course, when Aldo Moro, a member of the right-wing party Democrazia Cristiana just like Andreotti (Toni Servillo), was kidnapped and later executed by the Red Brigades. Andreotti shows no sign of emotion when he learns of the event, as usual: he has always been a quiet, secretive man. All that matters to him is the significant amount of power he gains over the years. As he points out when asked why he doesn't talk to God when he goes to church, "priests vote, God doesn't". Nevertheless, he certainly enjoys a little help from above when he is accused of various illegal activities, working with the Mafia and ordering assassinations being the most serious ones (let's not forget some conspiracy theorists believe he contributed to Moro's death, a conjecture that is dealt with in the film).

Sorrentino obviously put a lot of research into his work, and the opening title cards, which explain the movie's context, are his way of making sure viewers don't find his effort too confusing. It clearly paid off, since the picture walked away with the Jury Prize at the 2008 Cannes Festival, silencing rumors about being "too Italian". Predictably, the real Andreotti wasn't too impressed (word has it he even considered taking legal action against the filmmakers at one point). He obviously couldn't admit what happened on screen was true, so he made the following statement: "I don't agree with Sorrentino's portrayal of me, but I understand he had to make certain dramatic choices to make it interesting; my real life is actually quite boring". He has a point: there's a certain operatic grandeur to the scenes of the "Divo" walking around in government buildings and talking with his collaborators, a bit like in The Godfather. This gives the picture the greatness of a Greek tragedy, combined with the fiery spirit of politically charged movies like, say, Oliver Stone's body of work.

The Stone comparison isn't accidental, since he directed Nixon, which, much like Il Divo, depended hugely on its leading man. Stone had Anthony Hopkins, while Sorrentino has his Robert De Niro, namely the superb Servillo, whose transformation isn't a mere make-up job (to see what he really looks like, one ought to check out the equally magnificent Gomorra): the Neapolitan actor doesn't just play Andreotti, he becomes him. It's a performance that gets past mimicry or impersonation - it's Andreotti as a person, not a movie character.

So, the concerned party's opinion aside, everything speaks in favor of this ambitious, thought-provoking, stunning opus. In one word, to keep in with the complete title: extraordinary.